


By The Light Of Lothal's Moons

by shadygrifter (restlessdreamer)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Found Families, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2017-09-14
Packaged: 2018-12-29 16:44:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12089136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/restlessdreamer/pseuds/shadygrifter
Summary: Prompt: “What if Hera and Kanan had found Ezra on the streets when he was much, much younger?  I would love a little fic about making that decision to keep him.”A voice has been silenced on Lothal. Shortly after Hera's mission on Gorse, and with a new strange and mysterious co-pilot named Kanan Jarrus, she decides to find out just what happened to the Resistance on Lothal. She wasn't expecting to pick up someone else along the way.





	By The Light Of Lothal's Moons

There had been a voice silenced on Lothal.

For several months now, the Lothal Resistance Radio had been silent. Of course there were lapses sometimes, a month or two of quiet. Laying low was hardly an uncommon occurrence- Hera knew that all too well from her own experiences as a… a what, a spy? A rebel? A resistance partisan?

A fact checker, she reminds herself. Someone who helps those who can’t help themselves. Like the mysterious Fulcrum who contacts her on occasion, or the other interested parties that had led her to Gorse. And to him.

 Her eyes flicker over to Kanan as he leans back in the co-pilot’s seat, examining his own blaster. He’s rough, and he’s rowdy, but there’s something intrinsically _heroic_ about him that makes her unable to dismiss him as easily as many other would-be suitors. Not to mention, the power he had demonstrated on the _Forager_ …

“Chopper, set a course for Lothal system.”

The droid whines in binary, but moves to do so anyway. Her human companion, however, has plenty of objections of his own.

“Lothal? Why you want to go to a backwater world like that? You and me could go anywhere in the galaxy, and you choose Lothal?” Kanan groans as he puts away his blaster, and she can’t help but smirk at the controls.

 If he was going to be secretive about his past, she certainly wasn’t going to let him in on her present.

“Maybe I simply wanted some fresh air.” She smiles as the pinprick of stars before them blur into lines, then into the vast blue-white of hyperspace.

“Yeah, just like you wanted to ‘look around’ on Gorse.” He grumbles.

She knows he’s following her for... something. A reason. Some natural instinct of heroism, or maybe he simply likes how she looks, something he’s insinuated many times. But she chooses to believe that taking him on as her first crew member means he’ll answer the call of his more noble urges.

* * *

Lothal spaceport is hardly what Kanan would consider to be a hubbub of activity. Between the stale wanted holos of two kids (nearly a decade old, from the posting date), to the banners still showing off local artists, there is next to nothing here that betrays any reason for Hera to come here.

From what he’s gathered by the twi’lek’s exploits, she’s a spy of some sort. Doesn’t know if it’s of the nosy reporter who’s going to get herself killed or the freedom fighter who’s also going to get herself killed variety. And most of him doesn’t want to know. But he’d come along for the ride anyway.

_"Perhaps the answer will come to you in another form.”_

It’s a ghost’s voice that echoes in his head. A voice from another life. He has to take a moment to shake Master Billaba’s wisdom from his ears, jamming his hands in his pockets. Kriff’s sake, it’s not like Hera was some sign from the Force sent to guide him back to his original path. Caleb is dead. His lightsaber is stored in the bunk she’d given him. And his use of the Force…

“One time thing. Won’t happen again.” He tells himself, waiting for her to disembark.

On a planet like this, the clothes they wore on Gorse don’t necessarily blend in. The garb around here is very traditional, in a way. But they don’t really have to worry about that- Hera’ll spin some story about how they’re traders or merchants. She is piloting a freighter after all.

“Halt.” A Stormtrooper (This place is really crawling with Stormtroopers, isn’t it? Only real sign the Empire’s come to stay.

“We’re going to need to see some scandocs for this ship.”

“They’re with me.” Hera replies as she comes off the ramp, holding a data pad in her hand.

“Sorry about the delays. I’m the ship’s captain, Hera Dokura.”

She holds out the scandocs, and the Stormtrooper snatches it from her hand, looking it over. Without even looking at her again, he turns to Kanan, like he’s the real head of this operation.

“Cargo shuttle from Garel, huh? Can’t see what they want with what’s here, but that’s your business, Captain-“

“Dokura.” Kanan grins, looking over at Hera, who’s hiding the blatant expression of disapproval very poorly. It’s almost as if she can read his mind, with what he pulls off next.

“Kanan Dokura. Though it’s my wife that’s the captain.”

The Stormtrooper is silent for a moment, even if there is an audible grunt of dissatisfaction, and he shoves the data pad into Kanan’s hands.

“Be quick, then. We don’t want any troublemakers around here.”

“Seems you’ve already had some trouble.” Hera says with a gentle smile, letting a little more of her native accent slip in between her teeth. Innocent. Charming, even, and Kanan knows she’s playing them like a fiddle. It almost makes her wonder if she’s a former padawan like him, playing these little mind tricks on people.

“I’ve never seen so many Stormtroopers at Lothal port before.”

“There’s been some recent trouble here in the capital. A rebel cell was busted.” He laughs, turning away.

Once they’re in the clear, Hera’s face darkens, and she crosses her arms tight. Kanan braces himself for Hera’s chastisement, but it doesn’t come. Instead she looks pensive, straightening the light colored poncho she had worn on Gorse over her front.

“All right,” She says quietly, “let’s get going.”

* * *

Mira and Ephraim Bridger. Ryder Azadi. Those are the names of the Rebels who have been captured.

Hera knows her best place to salvage their operation is at their base. To dig up any information they might have stashed away in in their home. It’s not difficult to find it, really, considering that it’s the one on the outskirts of the capitol city with numerous boards and a holo message stating it being cordoned off by order of the Imperial Security Bureau.

The two Stormtroopers by the door make things interesting. Sneaking past them is going to be no easy feat. If she was working alone, she’d have to wait for the guards to change, ask Chopper to come out of the Ghost in order to cause a distraction. But the man beside her…

“What are you thinking?” He asks as she peers around the corner again, almost as if he can read her mind. Maybe he can. If he is what she thinks he is- no. Impossible. Improbable. But his age matches a survivor’s, right?

No. The Jedi are gone from this galaxy. And as much as she would like to hope that he is one, it simply isn’t possible. Even if he had managed to somehow lift a several ton structure from falling on her head with nothing but outstretched hands and simple force of will. 

“I’m thinking I need you as a distraction.” She replies, and she can almost hear the smirk in his voice without having to turn to him.

“Well, ask away, Captain, I can be all the distraction you need.” She tries not to roll her eyes in response.

“I meant for the Stormtroopers. I need them away from that building so I can sneak in.”

And then what? It would take her time to search it. No guarantee that she’d find what she needed before they gave up pursuit- She’s shaken from her thoughts by a laugh from Kanan, and he jerks his thumb around the corner to the Stormtroopers, yelling at someone to halt.

“Looks like a little Gorserat’s doing my job for me.”

A streak of orange and yellow and blue-black runs by, carrying a bag of some sort. A kid, fumbling, but fast and more surefooted than most his age. She only sees his face a moment, blurred by the movement of his steps. But she’d seen the pictures. The holo images of Mira and Ephraim.

Four Stormtroopers race by, and her heart nearly jumps in her chest as she puts the pieces together. Of course. Fulcrum had mentioned the Bridgers had a child. Of course, he would be close. Of course, he would be trouble to those who took his parents away-

“Kanan.” She grips his arm tightly. “You need to help that kid.”

“What, why?”

“I’ll explain it back on the ship, but he can’t take out those Stormtroopers himself. He needs our help. I’ll get what I need from the house, you get him to the ship. Go. Please.”

He hesitates a moment, eyes focusing on her. A battle of sorts playing out on his face, like he wants to refuse. But he turns away, his coat flapping in the breeze, as he darts off in pursuit of the Bridger child.

* * *

 

_Damn kid moves like a tooka._

Kanan curses to himself as he turns down another alleyway, the Stormtroopers long since lost. Kid moves faster than most. Reminds him too much of training with the others in the temple. The movements and speed uncommon among most of those without the gift of the Force. He bites his tongue and shakes his head. No. No way, no how. He’s not going down that road.

All the same, he sees a flash of orange and yellow turning around a corner, a jogun falling into his path. Is that all the kid stole? Some fruit? All this just so the kid could feed himself?

He stops dead in his tracks as he remembers what it was like. Starving, unable to trust anyone. That line between Caleb Dume and Kanan Jarrus blurred beyond recognition. He had been no one then. A Kallerrat, soaked and starved and unable to rest. The meiloorun that Kasmir had given him had tasted like the proverbial manna from the Force-

He shakes it all from his head in order to pick up the jogun, dusting off the banded skin on his jacket. No time for memories of a kid long dead. He’s got this little runt to focus on.

“Hey kid!” He calls into the alleyway, taking a few steps forward. A shadow retreats farther back, against the garbage cans and Kanan sighs, holding up his hands in defense against the kid. He’s not a threat. Really only here because Hera asked him to bring the kid back to the ship.

“Look, I know you don’t know me. Don’t expect you to really be friendly about it. But you look like you haven’t eaten in days.” He holds out the Jogun, watching as the kid creeps closer. Jesus, he’s young. Younger than he was before… Before he was in his situation. Only a child, couldn’t be more than 10 sweeps old.

“Besides, we can give you a safe place to sleep.” There’s a spark in his eyes at that. Food was easier to come by when you have moves like that. A safe place to sleep? Not so much. Wasn’t that how Kasmir had gotten him aboard his ship, kept him safe, trained him for this new life?

The kid swipes the jogun out of his hand and stares at him with suspicion as he eats it in all of three bites, wiping the green juices from his mouth on the back of his sleeve.

“What’s it gonna cost me?”

“Nothing, kid. Captain’s probably just got a question for you or three.” He gives him a smile, and holds out his hand, unable to shake the image of Caleb Dume from his eyes.

“Name’s Kanan.”

 “Ezra.”

* * *

“I’m just saying, don’t leave him alone on the ship, alright?”

Hera looked up from her data pad with a raised eyebrow and curiosity in her eyes. Watches as Kanan tries to shrug it off and tries to explain it with some excuse about he’s heard about it happening before.

 “An 8 year old running off with a starship.” She says flatly, looking over at him again.

 “Hey, stranger things have happened.”

She can’t help the roll of her eyes as she looks back at the bulkhead door. Their guest, Ezra, was currently sleeping in a private bunk as she and Kanan discussed what to do with him in the lounge. So far, the options aren’t looking good. They can’t just… take him with them, can they? She barely trusts Kanan with the secrecy of her missions, let alone a child…  
  
All the same, she finds herself chewing on her lower lip as she looks at the little tooka doll she had taken from his home, idly tracing her thumb over the mottled blacks and browns that look like stripes. He’s a child of the rebellion. His parents have been taken away by it. At least her father, as distant as he was, still lived. At least the rebellion opened up its arms to her and raised her amongst them all. Can she honestly leave a child behind?

 “He won’t be safe with us.” She says, more to herself than anything.

 “It’s _us_ now, is it, captain?” Kanan smirks at her as he leans across the dejarik table, looking at her with that coy smile.

 “You remember what it was like on Gorse. They won’t all be milk runs like Lothal was. Is.” Still, he’s a child. He’s a kid. He can’t fend for himself. Throwing him back out on the streets could be as good as signing an execution order- or worse, making him fodder for the very Empire that took his parents away. If he were hungry enough, desperate enough…

 “... Listen. Hera.” There’s something genuine in his voice, the way he spoke when he was with Zaluna or being frank with Scully. It makes her pause, look up, and she catches the distance in those teal eyes of his, as if he’s remembering some far off memory.

“We should bring him with us.”

 “He’s just a kid-”

 “Look. I don’t know what you’re into. And maybe I don’t want to know. Maybe it is no place for a kid. But trust me, he can still do a lot of good on this ship. You’ll need an assistant mechanic.”

 “I thought that’s what I had you for.”

 “No, no, I’m _co-pilot_ , remember?” He teases, and she offers up a weak smile. Perhaps… if she keeps things separate enough. If she starts establishing the cover as a merchant vessel with a growing crew… It could work out.

 “Alright. We’ll offer him the position. We can’t force him to stay.”

 “Come on, we might as well go tell the kid.” Kanan stands, offering her his hand. And she, despite her better judgement, decides to take it. After all, first thing they’ve really, truly agreed on since stopping Count Vidian.

Except that when they enter the crew’s quarters hallway, the door to Ezra’s bunk is wide open without him inside.

  
“Told you the kid would try to steal the ship-“

 “No, look.” Hera points to Kanan’s own open door, and she feels him go absolutely still beside her.

 “No.” He whispers under his breath, the soft hum of some sort of weapon audible from the chamber.

 “ _No_.” He repeats as he takes wide strides, rushing to the door. She follows with hurried steps, ducking under his arm to stare into the dark and open room.

 Inside, eyes wide with wonder, Ezra stares at the shimmering blue energy that emanates from a hilt too big for his hands.

 “ _A lightsaber_.” She hears herself whisper.

 But that would be impossible. That would be absolutely impossible. Unless. She looks at Kanan’s widening eyes, feels the way his body is tense next to her in the confined entrance of the doorway. Unless it’s his. Unless he is what she thinks he is. Unless.

 The words come out in a reverent whisper, unable to stop herself.

 

“ _You’re a Jedi_..!”

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for Nivi as part of my fic commissions in September 2017!
> 
> It takes a lot of canon nods from the Kanan: The Last Padawan comics as well as Star Wars: A New Dawn.  
> There will probably be a part two, as Nivi and I are both in love with this little project!


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